Hollow Countenance
by ErieDragon
Summary: The person just for Chi. The love between human and persocom. The world a neutral player. How far can it go?
1. Just Us

No, I stopped writing fanfiction. Yes, this is a fanfic. No, I don't update my fanfictions anymore. Thank you. Have a nice day.

When this will be updated, I don't know. It just happens.

Hollow Countenance

Chapter One

"Chi... Open your eyes, Chi..." There was silence, the room filled with the light patter of rain on the windows. The morning sun could still be seen, but now tried in vain to see through the sudden downpour. Hunched over inside the small, cramped Tokyo apartment was a student of nineteen. He was so enveloped in his attendance that he had failed to turn on the lights when the rainfall blotted out most of the natural light which had previously lit the room.

Hideki ran one hand through Chi's long, white hair, caressing the soft, silky strands between his fingers. Lifting one thumb, he tenderly rubbed her cheek. The persocom's eyelash fluttered, and she let out a small sound.

"Hideki...?" she asked quietly, opening her wide, brown eyes. As soon as she beheld the man before her, her expression of curiosity quickly changed to happiness. "Hideki!" Chi hugged him, as she repeated, "Hideki!"

Hideki smiled, letting his eyes drift closed as he put one hand on her head, and wrapped the other around her shoulders. "How are you, Chi?" he asked, lightly drawing her away so he could get a good look at her face. Chi smiled brightly, her eyebrows perking and her metal ears reflecting the light, which had only just found its way through the passing storm clouds.

"Chi is happy, because Chi is with Hideki now," she replied, her voice soft and swelling with happiness. Hideki let himself smile as he sat down on the futon beside her. "Where is Hibiya-san?"

Hideki glanced at the door, then back at Chi. "I'm pretty sure she went back to her room. I don't plan to leave here unless it's with you, though," he told her. Chi's face lit up like a lamp.

"Hideki and Chi? Just Hideki and Chi?" Hideki nodded, and was instantaneously sprung on by a joyful Chi. "Chi is happy!" she cried. Hideki grinned, wrapping his arms around her.

"Me too."

***

Hideki adjusted his jacket, taking a sponge off the counter and making his way back across the empty tavern towards one of the larger tables. He made absent wax-on, wax-off movements, his thoughts wandering far away from his work at Yorokonde.

__

"What is Hideki doing?" Chi asked, just as Hideki was moments away from kissing her for the first time. A rapid blush spread across his face, and he quickly jumped back three feet.

"Uh... I was... um... inspecting! Right. I was inspecting for problems," he replied nervously, his entire face a bright shade of tomato as he scratched the back of his head. Chi tilted her head, giving him a confused expression. Hideki sighed, dropping his head.

"Chi?" Hideki bit his lip, getting up the nerve to close the gap between them. He sat beside Chi, putting one arm around her shoulder. She glanced up at him with childlike innocence, challenging what he was about to tell her.

"Chi, it's like this. When two people love each other, they do things that people who love each other do... like... kissing." Chi blinked at him.

"Chi doesn't understand," she admitted. Hideki sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Chi loves Hideki." He smiled.

"And I love you too, Chi."

"So Chi and Hideki 'kiss'?" Hideki nodded, his face rapidly rising to blush mode again. "How do you kiss?"

"Well," Hideki said, his voice dropping, "it goes something like this." He leaned forward, closing his eyes. Chi watched him for a moment, before following his example. Their lips met, and there was a moment where time seemed to disappear.

Hideki sighed, remembering the moment with fondness. He briefly cleaned out a beer mug, hanging it up on the racks above the bar. But was it right? He asked himself the same question every day, whenever Chi would peck him on the cheek before going to work, or when she hugged him tightly every night when he returned from his part-time job.

Hideki sat down at the bar, having finished his work early. As much as he loved Chi--which was very much, much more than was normal for any boy his age--he was a boy, after all. He was "the person only for Chi," but was it also the other way around? He had assumed so, until he had realized it would be impossible to have a real and normal relationship with the cute persocom that only legally lived with him. Could he really kiss her, like he would to a real human girl? Could he kiss her all over, like he wanted to? Could he marry her, make her the happiest girl--human or not--ever?

He wanted to. Hideki closed his eyes, letting his face rest in his palm. He didn't care what people thought about him, although it wasn't much of an issue. Hibiya, the landlady, knew everything about them. Shimbo had already moved to live with their prep school teacher, and Minoru and Yuzuki only visited once every month or so. That ruled out people disapproving of their relationship, but with a persocom, how far could it go?

Or was it even right to ask?


	2. Forward Suggestions

Chapter Two

Hideki slowly opened the door to his apartment, announcing his return. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable hug...

He blinked, glancing around the room. Chii sat at the table, lifting her eyes. "Welcome home," she said with a smile. Hideki, looking concerned, stepped across the small room towards her and sat down. A steaming plate of beef stew sat before him, and despite his desire to dig right in, he moved to find out what was missing.

"Are you alright, Chi?" he asked with concern. Chi looked at him, and shook her head.

"Chi is fine," she replied, blinking her deep brown eyes. Hideki, still looking unnerved, decided to leave it at that and quickly went to the task of filling his empty stomach.

After Chi had collected the plate and washed it, she sat back down at the table and continued reading a book that the landlady had given her. Hideki sighed, taking out his books, ready to begin again studying for his next college entrance exam. Prep school was ending in a few weeks, and finals were coming up. Despite the pressure, Hideki had felt strangely calm, and was taking it one step at a time. But the silence had begun to make him uneasy, and he decided to address it.

Chi was staring intently at the book, flipping the page with what looked like eagerness. Hideki watched with interest as her eyebrows rose, and then dropped again as she scanned the words. Setting his books on the table, Hideki slowly began to inch towards her in such a fashion that she had no idea what he was doing.

Suddenly, he grabbed her around the waist. "Chi!" she cried in surprise. Hideki wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into his lap. He buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply. Chi quickly relaxed, letting her arms drop so that her hands were over his.

"Is something the matter, Hideki?" she asked quietly, not objecting to his tight hold on her. Hideki shook his head and replied, "No, Chi. Just the opposite." He lightly brushed his lips on her neck, feeling his face warm. Chi was so special... just her close proximity to him made his temperature rise.

"I love you so much, Chi," he said quietly, kissing her neck again. Chi let out a sigh of contentment, twining her fingers with his. She had become much more experienced over time, but each new advancement that he made caused her to learn more and more about him and what she should do.

She thought back to the book that Miss Hibiya had given to her. It was a romance tale, and had been teaching her a lot about humans and their rituals when it came to love and relationships. She was surprised at, compared to her readings, how tame Hideki had been to her. They were in the same house, slept in the same bed, lived like a married couple, but he had only kissed her once or twice. Every time had been a disaster due to Chi's inexperience.

But now, it was time for her to show just how deep her feelings ran.

Chi turned around suddenly, surprising Hideki in his ministrations. She reached up, putting her hands to either side of his face. "Chi loves Hideki," she said, closing her eyes and kissing him lightly on the lips. Too shocked to respond, Hideki remained wide-eyed until he comprehended just what was happening to him; then he lightly returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her middle.

They pulled away, just sitting a moment. Hideki lightly brushed a hair from her eyes, and Chi let out a tiny giggle. "What do you say we turn in early?" he asked. Chi nodded with a smile, and they quickly put away their books and got out the futon. Hideki stripped down to his boxers, crawling under the blankets as Chi finished dressing into her overlarge t-shirt, which substituted for a night gown. He held up the blanket, allowing her to climb in beside him. With that, he flipped off the light, and the two curled up for the night.

***

"Have a good day," Hideki said, patting Chi on the head as he left Chiroru. He smiled as he heard Manager Ueda's enthusiastic welcome, and laughed as the persocom happily went to change her outfit. 

Now it was time to ponder. Why had she been so forward? He had never known Chi to do nothing but respond, and even times that he made a move were rare.

__

"Only the person for me can touch me there. No one else can enter." Hideki's eyes widened as Chi took his hand in hers, and put it to the spot between her legs. His mind was a whirl; what was happening? What was wrong with Chi?

"No one else..."

Hideki looked down at his hand, furrowing his brow. What did she mean? He would never turn her off... Was it an intimate place for a persocom, just like for a human? His curiosity getting the better of him, Hideki let his mind wander into other, more personal questions.

Nevertheless, he looked forward to that evening. If things worked out well, he might get more answers.


	3. Proposals

I'd like to appreciate everyone who has reviewed so far. Aye. 

Chapter Three

Hideki stood in front of the small bakery, watching with keen interest at its three occupants through the glass display window. He was early, and decided to wait outside for a little while and enjoy the wonderful weather while he was still able. He was now peering into Chiroru over the top of a white layer cake, his face lit with a fond grin at the commotion inside. Yumi was sobbing, holding her hand to her chest and clutching the band around her wedding finger. Manager Ueda was kneeling in front of her, trying to calm her down while still holding a pretty black, padded box. Chi was watching with both concern and amusement at the whole spectacle, holding the hem of her cute new outfit with one hand. 

Glancing at his watch, Hideki noted that it was already a few minutes past the time he was due to pick up Chi, and decided hesitantly to interrupt the precious little moment. The bells tinkled as he entered, and Chi immediately saw him. Yumi, on the other hand, was too busy suffocating the manager with a hug. "Hideki!" the blonde persocom said happily, refraining from jumping on him. Manager Ueda barely registered his visitor as he was suddenly released from the all-encompassing embrace.

"Yes! Yes I will!" Yumi cried, her voice high and excited. Hideki coughed, nodding to the manager. Yumi turned, spotting Hideki and smiling widely. "We're going to get married!" she announced loudly. Hideki blinked for a moment, then laughed and grinned back at her.

"Congratulations," he replied, shaking the manager's hand. The engaged blushed, but didn't have much time to scratch the back of his head when Yumi burst out again, unable to contain herself.

"You'll come to our wedding, right sempai?" she asked excitedly. Hideki nodded.

"I'm sure Chi will come too, if you'd like." Yumi nodded again, grinning at the persocom. Chi smiled back, crossing her arms behind her. "But I believe she has to go get changed first, right Chi?" She nodded, trotting away into the back room.

"I think I'll go too," Yumi announced, still riled up. She quickly ran after the other girl, leaving the two men alone.

"This is an interesting turn of events," Hideki commented, "not like I wasn't expecting it or anything." The manager chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, I suppose. I already asked her father's permission... he didn't have a problem with it at all," he said. Hideki raised one eyebrow. Manager Ueda crumpled under his friend's scrutinous look. "I got over _her_," he admitted quietly. "I... I love Yumi so much, I would give up anything for her." He covered his mouth with one hand, looking to be on the verge of tears.

Hideki lightly patted his shoulder. "You're a lucky man, Ueda." The manager nodded, when suddenly the sound of two girl voices interrupted them. Chi and Yumi trotted back out of the back room, holding hands in a very girlish fashion. "Ready to go, Chi?" Hideki asked. The persocom nodded happily, detaching herself from the other girl and carefully looping arms with him. The two waved to the happy couple as they left the bakery with a tinkle of bells.

They walked in silence for some time, enjoying the soft, warm breeze which blew past. Hideki watched with interest as Chi looked to one side, her eyes looking almost dreamy. "Are you alright, Chi?" Hideki asked, lightly patting her arm. She looked surprised for a moment, then nodded her head.

"Yumi-chan was so happy," she said with a smile. "Hideki, what is marriage?"  


Hideki was unprepared for the question. "Well... uh, you see..." he stumbled about for the right words as they approached the apartment complex. "It's like this. When a man and a woman, like Manger Ueda and Yumi, love each other deeply, they pledge themselves to one another forever. They have a pretty ceremony and all kinds of wonderful things." Hideki opened the door, letting Chi in first and following behind. The persocom looked thoughtful.

"Chi will think about this," she announced. Hideki raised his eyebrows in surprise. Did persocoms ponder things like that? He wondered. Every day she was learning something new, and every day she was teaching him something new about herself. She was most definitely one of a kind.

With that fond thought in mind, Hideki left Chi for his part-time job. She would probably leave a little while later to shop, and Hideki was already looking forward to dinner.

***

Hideki stumbled up the stairs, stopping at his apartment door. Fumbling with the door knob, he eventually got it open. His eyes hurt from a little accident with the beer spout; one of the other boys had accidentally knocked the lever, causing the shoot to go right into Hideki's face. He was tired from cleaning up the mess and dealing with customers at the same time, and wanted nothing but something to eat and a nice, warm bed. 

Upon setting foot into his apartment, Hideki was assaulted by an image which instantly brought his mind to life. Chi stood in the middle of the room, wearing the dress that she had claimed to be hers already when Miss Hibiya had given it to her. It barely reached below her underwear line and nicely held up her petite breasts, flaring in every direction and looking absolutely adorable. 

Hideki stood in the doorway, merely staring in shocked silence. "Chi?" Chi asked, tilting her head. Hideki slowly came back to reality, walking towards her.

"What's... what's the occasion?" he asked, throat clenching. The dress looked much more appealing now than it had when she first put it on, he noticed. A plate of food sat on the table, but it was completely forgotten now.

"Will..." Chi looked nervous. "Will Hideki marry Chi?"


	4. Some Relaxation

Waah! *waves hands* What I meant was that I wouldn't be updating any of my _other_ fanfics! Waah! *waves arms again* Only fics that have been started after the beginning of April, 2003 will be continued, but I cannot guarantee that they will be finished. Just be sure to check the update dates.

By the way, to whoever it was who told me to watch episode "27": There is none. One season is 26 episodes. The story ended at 26. Whatever was after it was either inconsequential or was an OVA, and if I haven't seen it, I'm not going to write about it. Thanks. Have a nice day.

Chapter Four

Hideki stood frozen in place, his feet rooted to the floor. "Will Hideki marry Chi?" The persocom probably had no idea of the implications of her question. How could she?

Hideki slowly backed up, leaning against the wall. He loved Chi, that much was for sure. But she was a _persocom_. A special one, yes, a Chobit, yes... But marriage? He didn't even know if he could last a few years. 

__

"I loved her more than anything." Manager Ueda's words echoed in his head. He did love Chi more than anything... Enough to marry her? Could he be that extreme? He had no idea how his family would react. What about those he knew? Shimbo, Miss Shimizu, Minoru?

"Hideki?" Chi asked meekly, slowly walking towards him. Hideki looked at her for a moment, unsure of what move to make next. She reached out, taking his hand in hers and twining their fingers together. She looked worried, and her adorable face was too much for him to resist.

He leaned forward, placing a light kiss on her lips. "Let's think about it," he said quietly, putting his arms around her middle. He lifted her up so his arms were around her back, and leaned against the wall. He lifted one leg, balancing her on it as he pressed her face to his shoulder. Chi wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her long, white-blonde hair cover the both of them.

They stayed that way for some time, until a sudden squeal interrupted them. Hideki's foot slipped on the opposite entryway wall, and both of them went toppling to the floor.

"Sumimasen!" Chi apologized. "I left the tea kettle on!" She quickly got to her feet, disappearing into the kitchen area. Hideki sat against the wall, his head in a whirl. He would just have to sit down and discuss it with her later.

It wasn't long before Chi had set out a plate of rice and fish wrapped in nori. She sat down at the table, watching Hideki eat; it made him nervous. "Chi," he asked, "did you get any new books from Hibiya-san?" She shook her head. "How long did it take you to read the three books that she gave you two days ago?"

"Approximately four hours," she replied. Hideki widened his eyes.

"Were they good books?" Chi smiled and nodded.

"Oh yes! They were very sweet," she replied, her face seeming to light up. Hideki raised his eyebrows. Maybe he would just have to take a look at those books of hers. "How was work tonight, Hideki?"

Hideki sighed. "It was a disaster, actually." At Chi's worried expression, he waved his hands. "I just got some beer in my eyes and tripped once or twice," he assured her. She smiled, until she realized what he had said.

"Oh no, Hideki... You should go take a bath. You may have hurt your eyes, and it will help relax you," she said. Hideki blinked. She had never recommended a remedy like that before. And how would she know the benefits of baths?

"That sounds like a good idea, actually. I think I'll do that right now. The meal was wonderful, Chi," he announced. Chi smiled widely, taking the plate to the sink. Hideki got up, slouching as he walked out of the main room into the bathroom.

Hideki sat on the toilet, crossing his legs on the fluffy seat cover as he turned on the water. Steam soon began to rise from the rapidly filling tub, and he climbed out of his dirty clothes. He would have to go shopping for some new items soon, because all of his shirts and pants were covered in holes and dirt. He rarely got a chance to wash them, but Chi had learned quickly how to take them to the laundromat. It was just a matter of bringing up the issue.

When he decided that the water had risen high enough, Hideki turned off the faucet and slowly climbed into the tub. He let out a sigh as he felt his muscles ease into the hot water that surrounded him. He didn't hear the door quietly open, or a pair of light feet walk across the steam-filled room towards him.

He did notice, of course, when Chi climbed into the tub, completely devoid of clothing.


End file.
